Vetal bessier



, (NoModeL) V. BES-SIER-- PIANISSIMO STOP FOR PIANO FORTES.'

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WITNBSSBS;n

INVENTQR:

ATTORNEYS.

linrrnn STATES PATnNT Ormes,

VETAL BSSIER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN AMMON, OF SAME PLACE.

PlANlSSllVlO-STOP FOR PIANO-FORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 337,552, dated March 9, 1.886.

Application tiled December 3, 1854. Serial No. 149,386. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern: The piano is provided with the usual damp- 55 Be it known that I, VETAL BssIER, of the ers, stops, and the piano and forte pedals, city, county, and State of New York, have which are not shown. invented a new and Improved Pianissimo- The operation is as follows: By pulling out 5 Stop for Piano-Fortes, of which the following the rods F the angle-levers E are turned on is a full, clear, and exact description. their pivots and move the bars D upward, 6o

The object of my invention is to provide a whereby the rail A is moved upward and at new and improved pianissimo-stop for piano the same time is forced against the strings B i fortes ot' all kinds, whereby the tones can be by the wedges L. It' a string is now struck to subdued as much as may be desired, or renby a hammer, the rapidity of the vibrations dered inaudible altogether. will be reduced to such an extent that the 65 The invention consists in a piano provided tone is inaudible. By pushing back the rods with a. damper-rail between the sounding- F the rail A is lowered and pushed from the board and the strings, in addition to the usual strings by the pins O, against which the i5 damper devices. wedges ll work.

Referenceis to be had to thc accompanying By means of my improved stop the instrn- 7o drawings, forming part of this specification, ment can be so adjusted that the tones will in which similar letters of reference indicate not be heard, and the player cannot disturb corresponding parts in all the iigures. others while practicing. 1f the player wishes 2o Figure l is a face view of an upright piano to hear the tones, the rail A can beso adjusted provided with my improved stop, the front by raising it less than to the full height that 75 plate being removed. Fig; 2 is a crosssecthe iones are softened considerably and can tional elevation of the same, the pianissimoonly be heard by the player. stop heilig out of use. Fig. 3 is another sec- The stop can be applied on grand, square,

25 tional view, the pianissimo-stop being in use. or upright pianos.

{ A rail, A, is placed between the strings B Having thus described my invention, what 8o and the sounding-board C, and has the side I claim as new, 21nd dtSll'@ t0 SQCU'@ by Let' facing the strings covered with felt, soft ters Patent, isleather, or cloth, felt being preferred. The 1. A piano provided with a sound-deaden- 3o said rail is arranged to be moved toward ing rail having' its entire outer surface covand brought in contact with the strings, and ered with felt, leather, or other fabric, which 85 it may be arranged to swing or to slide torail is located between the strings and the ward the strings and at the same time slide sounding-board, and is mounted to move to parallel with the strings a greater or less disand from the strings, substantially as herein 35 MUCC- shown and described.

In the construction shown bars D projectl 2. In a piano, the combination, with the 9o downward from the ends of the rail, and case, strings, sounding-board, and hammer through apertures in the said bars the ends mechanism, ofa sound-deadening` rail between of angle-levers E pass, which are pivoted on the sounding-board and strings,aud ofwedges 4o the inner surfaces ofthe end pieces, the other secured on the soumling-board for pressing ends projecting upwart'l. Sliding rods F are the damper-rail against the strings, substan- 95 f arranged in the end blocks, G, and have but` tially as herein shown and described.

tons or knobs H on their outer ends, the in- 3. l'n a piano, the combination, with the ner ends being connected with the angle-lecase, the strings, sounding-board, and hammer 45 vers E. Rods J, secured to the lower ends of mechanism, ofthe wedges L on the soundingthe bars D, pass through boards K, and thus board, the wedges N on bars connected with too guide the said bars D. The back of the rail the-rail, and ot' the pins O, projecting from A rests against the lower smaller ends of the innersurface ofthe end pieces ofthe box, wedges Dbseculred on the inner su rfacc ofthe substantially as herein shown and described.

5o sount ingoarc above the to i ofthe rail and s on the front surfaces of the dai-s D wedges N VETAL BLSSIER' are secured, which rest against pins O, pro- Nit-messes: jecting from the inner surface ofthe ends of Osons F. GUNZ, the casing, C. SEDGWICK. 

